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When kids go wrong it's
invariably their own fault, right? Wrong. How a
youngster behaves in the future is usually decided at a
very early age and most of the factors that decide that
are in the hands of adults. There is much that your
local authority can do to help you in your
self-development; how many of these policies has
yours adopted?

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make a difference? Show this website to your
friends, parents, teachers, your friends'
parents, your parents' friends, and anyone
else you know. Get people thinking. Every
suggestion on this site won't be suitable to
your locality, but some will!

Local authorities can assist children
and youth with their lifestyle choices

Local
authorities can assist children and youth with their
lifestyle choices. They are charged with the moral and
legal obligation to oversee the health and well-being of
all the children and youth in their areas, with special
emphasis on children in need. A child in need is a child
or youth who is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have
the opportunity of achieving a reasonable standard of
health or development without the local authority’s
services. However, one way to keep a child from becoming
one in need is to take preventative measures that help
the child and its family members make healthier
lifestyle choices.

For instance, local authorities can take steps to lessen
the negative impact smoking has on children and young
people. They can join with various partners and other
agencies in the community to increase bans or at least
make better efforts to enforce the bans on smoking. They
can increase the resources available for those who wish
to quit smoking but need outside help. They can
encourage all smokers to stop smoking, and provide
counselling for those who use smoking as a
mental/emotional crutch. They can also encourage the
community to make it much harder for children and youth
to attain any tobacco products.

Smoking,
taking illegal drugs, having sex, and drinking alcohol
are often the results of peer pressure or the feeling of
being alienated from society. Local authorities and
their partners can assist all children with learning how
to effectively cope with peer pressure at an early age.
One of the most effective ways to teach a child how to
avoid peer pressure is by teaching interpersonal
relationship lessons through role-playing games.

Local authorities can sponsor extra-curricular
activities, such as clubs, choirs, and bands. All
children, especially the older youth, should be
encouraged to form after-school clubs to give them the
sense of belonging. These clubs should be encouraged to
conduct anti-smoking, anti-drugs, anti-sexual
promiscuity, and anti-alcohol campaigns at their schools
and throughout their communities. Also, better addiction
rehabilitation resources should be made available to all
members of a community. Moreover, any health
inequalities across the boroughs should be reduced as
much as is possible.

Local
authorities can reduce the economic distress and poverty
levels within their communities

Another
factor that contributes to poor lifestyle choices is
poverty or economic distress. Local authorities can help
relieve this distress and poverty level by partnering
with various other agencies and local community
resources. The authorities can help the local community
attract more businesses to the area. They can also help
to set up food banks, clothing distributions, and help
to provide other essential household needs in the most
distressed areas. The authorities and their partners
could also ensure that every student was provided with
adequate clothing, food, and school supplies.

Local
authorities can promote physical and mental health among
teenagers

Local
authorities and their community partners should also
take steps to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.
They should also work to improve the prevention and
treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. The local
authorities should also work to promote the mental and
physical well-being of children and youth through
various community sponsored activities.

More one-on-one and group counselling resources should
be provided by the local authorities and their partners,
through the schools, as well as throughout the
community. The local authorities should set up parenting
classes, nutritional courses, and sexual disease
awareness courses. They should also arrange for physical
fitness activities, as well as provide mental
stimulation activities.

Local
authorities can provide easy access to services

Local
authorities should also take steps to ensure that all
children and youth and their families have easy access
to all the services available in the community.
Providing a one-stop shop type area in the schools
allows parents and students with limited income and time
to make contact with the right resources when they may
need those resources the most. It also encourages the
various agencies and resource representatives to work
together, which greatly improves all the agencies’
effectiveness in the long run. Healthy lifestyles do
matter, and local authorities can find many diverse ways
of improving the lifestyles of children and youth in
their areas.